Dealer installed swirls

**Dkaras** · 09-14-2014, 02:58 PM

I completed a 2 step polish followed up with black ice wax 2 months ago on my wife's car. She took it into Lexus for a oil change Friday and asked them not to wash the car. I pulled it out of the garage this morning and it looks like they washed it with steel wool pads. The finish is swirled terrible looks like I have a battle on my hands Monday morning I will see what they have to say. Anybody have any tips on how to tackle this

**Mizzoutiger** · 09-14-2014, 03:05 PM

Ask dealer what they can do to compensate you to correct...perhaps comp w/free oil changes, etc, w/o future DISO.

When I get car serviced, I ensure it says DO NOT WASH (in all caps) on form and place signs on rear view mirror, dash and seats. And when car goes in looking brand new despite its age, they tend to remember you and why it looks that way, so they pay extra special attention to it. I also ensure they don't use the "rookie" mechanic to service the car and do anything with the wheels.

**TurboToys** · 09-14-2014, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Mizzoutiger

Ask dealer what they can do to compensate you to correct...perhaps comp w/free oil changes, etc, w/o future DISO.

When I get car serviced, I ensure it says DO NOT WASH (in all caps) on form and place signs on rear view mirror, dash and seats. And when car goes in looking brand new despite its age, they tend to remember you and why it looks that way, so they pay extra special attention to it. I also ensure they don't use the "rookie" mechanic to service the car and do anything with the wheels.

i don't agree with the "rookie mechanic" part there... not having them send your car through a tunnel wash is one thing. but it's in the dealership for a reason, and you are going to have to let them do the repairs with whoever they have available, unless you are the president himself then you are asking too much for them to bring their best of the best off of whatever project they are busy with to come and take some tires off of a car for you. the greenhorns have to learn somehow. and they will get in just as much trouble if they damage something instead of taking the right steps, this is how they learn.

ask too much when you go in and you may make an enemy out of the dealership instead of earning their respect with how much care you have for your car.

i agree with the wash signs though, nothing wrong with those.

**SYMAWD** · 09-14-2014, 04:46 PM

I put one of these on my shifter.

Please
Do
NOT
Wash
Under Any
Circumstance

Thank You

And to think my dealer used their unlimited use tunnel wash as a selling point.

**Mike lambert** · 09-14-2014, 06:43 PM

You will have to give them the opportunity to correct what you say they did. As far as the dealer paying to have it corrected, if they are a high quality dealer they will. You will need to show them how the car looked prior.

**Mizzoutiger** · 09-14-2014, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by TurboToys

i don't agree with the "rookie mechanic" part there... not having them send your car through a tunnel wash is one thing. but it's in the dealership for a reason, and you are going to have to let them do the repairs with whoever they have available, unless you are the president himself then you are asking too much for them to bring their best of the best off of whatever project they are busy with to come and take some tires off of a car for you. the greenhorns have to learn somehow. and they will get in just as much trouble if they damage something instead of taking the right steps, this is how they learn.

ask too much when you go in and you may make an enemy out of the dealership instead of earning their respect with how much care you have for your car.

i agree with the wash signs though, nothing wrong with those.

Before I enter a dealership, I know their record and I build rapport with them and convey how much I care about my cars...more so than the average Joe.

They know I'm anal and know I know the usual dealer mechanic mistakes. For example, if you have low-profile tires and have someone inexperienced (read "rookie") change them, you're taking unnecessary risk.

Don't get me wrong, everyone has to start somewhere to gain experience. I don't mind "rookies" changing oil (which I do myself anyway) or learning from the seasoned mechanic on how to do more complicated things. And ultimately the dealer knows that my friends know I'm anal and they're going to choose who I choose to get my stuff done...just like where I buy my car detailing supplies!

**mswerb** · 09-14-2014, 08:39 PM

Just remember, if you take it back to the dealership to have them correct what they did to your vehicle that some 18 year old "Porter" is probably going to work on your car.

**SYMAWD** · 09-14-2014, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by mswerb

Just remember, if you take it back to the dealership to have them correct what they did to your vehicle that some 18 year old "Porter" is probably going to work on your car.

That's possible, but not all dealers are like that. I always advise when buying a new car to ask if you can check out where and how it gets detailed. For example, where I work, we have an outside detail company do all of our new car deliveries and trade-ins that we add to our used car inventory. A new car never gets washed at our dealer until it sells, so people generally leave with a swirl free car (except when there's bad FISO (you can search my thread on that) because there simply isn't time to produce a show car finish during a new car delivery).

**TurboToys** · 09-15-2014, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Mizzoutiger

Before I enter a dealership, I know their record and I build rapport with them and convey how much I care about my cars...more so than the average Joe.

They know I'm anal and know I know the usual dealer mechanic mistakes. For example, if you have low-profile tires and have someone inexperienced (read "rookie") change them, you're taking unnecessary risk.

Don't get me wrong, everyone has to start somewhere to gain experience. I don't mind "rookies" changing oil (which I do myself anyway) or learning from the seasoned mechanic on how to do more complicated things. And ultimately the dealer knows that my friends know I'm anal and they're going to choose who I choose to get my stuff done...just like where I buy my car detailing supplies!

right, but you basically attribute experience as to how careful someone else, not the skill of the mechanic.. unless you are literally standing next to them watching to work, anyone can and will make mistakes, and its near insulting to tell a shop that you only want their best mechanics working on your car, they have an entire shop full of people who all pass the same tests and had the same training who are all capable of taking care of a customer car, because you aren't the only one that goes to that place that cares for your car like you do, there is indeed an entire community and more of people that do the same. rest assured, if they get you in and out quickly, they will tell you anything to make sure you are happy. in the end, it's a dealership, not a show car garage, they sell cars and that is their bottom line. warranty work and shop work is secondhand to car sales.

instead of insisting on the absolute best service and becoming the backroom joke of all the guys who work there, trust the people you take your car to, or go somewhere else, you'll just end up being "that crazy ass guy who will choke you out if you put a smudge on his paint". they don't literally cater to people like that, they will have anyone available do the work if it's minor, and tell you that they had an experienced guy on it.